


如何物語 (Ikamonogatari)

by DaylightsAce



Series: Godness Express [2]
Category: My Hero Isekai AU, Original Work
Genre: I Can't Believe I Wrote This, Inspired by Fanfiction, Long Live Feedback Comment Project, Mild Sexual Content, Original Fiction, Puns & Word Play, Slow To Update, Suicidal Thoughts, The Author Regrets Everything, To Be Edited
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-02-13
Packaged: 2019-10-15 13:00:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 16,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17529200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaylightsAce/pseuds/DaylightsAce
Summary: Warning. The following story is purely about the adventures of God Dude.Who? That God you saw in Chapter 1 of My Hero Isekai? Yeah! Someone made a story about him.





	1. Stair Flight Lane

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [My Hero Isekai](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15926861) by [Madmaiden](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madmaiden/pseuds/Madmaiden). 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beginning.
> 
> It was a coincidence.
> 
> Chouko Cocoon.

###### ᛁ᛫ᛙᛆᛑᛂ᛫ᛆ᛫ᛙᛁᛌᛐᛆᚴᛂ.

Kyouma Araki was a very slender boy. There weren't any imperfections or any necessarily charming features to him, but it was noted that a defining trait had been that he was slender. It almost seemed like he'd fade away into the crowd and laugh in a cool and charming voice, before enacting some secret plot that no soul could gather the bearings to stand up against.

Aside from his body. Let's stop talking about his body. Because nothing on the surface indicated that this man was anything special. The most to mention was the fact that he was an interuniversal creature that could bounce and hop between worlds at any given moment.

It was the first week of school in January when he had discovered that he and Sawako Sengoku were the only people left in class. It had been a small classroom; it had windows on both sides of the room, meaning that there were some who could enjoy the nice Spring breeze on the left, and there were those who could have a taste of freedom with the half-opened window. Case in point.

"It seems like we're all alone Araki-kun," Sawako had whispered into his ear. "I hope you'll stay and help clean everything you've left. You made quite the mess here with me."

It had been a full year or so since he first came to this world. Oh, how peculiar it was indeed. Bright copper faces and porcelain skin. These were how he'd describe the various different people surrounding him.

Adapting had not been as much as a difficult chore as one might think. On the contrary, Kyouma Araki (that's the name he went with apparently), had the time of his life. If the previous one didn't count. Yes. He didn't count the last one. For good reason too.

These little beings had captured his attention. He was indeed fascinated. What possible ways could humans live out their lives? In a dark and stingy cave where magic and mystery lie? Or perhaps arguing with someone for the fate of the world over one single argument. Who knew what life he could lead.

"I'm not the only one who uses this place you know? Everyone here is responsible."

"Ah, trying to clean your name while blaming others? Now that's just playing dirty, Araki-kun."

This was the life he had gotten.

"I wouldn't mind at all if you joined me, Sengoku," He raised his eyebrows with a playful smile. "Maybe I'll even think of granting you a wish."

Did it work?

"Your tricks won't be sliding in and out of me Araki-kun,"

Apparently not.

"You can't use that excuse on me again. That's final."

Now that's just cruel.

Show a bit more sympathy than that.

It had been surprisingly easy for him to tell the truth of his nature to people. Indeed. Brushing things off when they can't believe it seems to be a staple of what most would consider normal working humans.

"I'm still waiting for you to grant me any wish I want." She said with a huff.

Found one.

Sawako Sengoku was someone Kyouma had met when he first transferred. It was quite a peculiar moment for our resident titular hero.

It seemed to be as if she was everywhere in their school. She would be in the sports team, literature club, debating group, music band, cooking class, occult club. Sawako just seemed to be a person who would be interested in anything. Kyouma wasn't entirely convinced that if he told her that there was an orgy club, she wouldn't want to not go.

She had an air around her that announced to you her complete focus. Sawako, one day, had the fortune of meeting Kyouma on a nice rainy day. Ever since then. Yes, ever since then, she had been completely and utterly.

"Fascinated! I really want to know where you'll take me next with your stories."

"Keep cleaning and I might show you more." He said with a wink and a nod to her. Maybe it was a metaphorical camera nod?

  
"You never cease to amaze me, Araki-kun."

It doesn't take much effort to impress someone so long as you have a background that they find exciting. A shallow way of thinking to say the least, but there can also be genuine curiosity there. So he allowed her to stick around.

"Sengoku. Isn't Asobi supposed to be cleaning today? Where is he?"

"Gone probably. Honestly don't blame him, I probably wouldn't have done this."

That raised a question.

If she wasn't interested in doing extra work, then why did she apply for so much to begin with?

"Well, Araki-kun. I'm... honestly not that sure. Sometimes, I just feel like I want to go out there and find everything that might be of use."

"Is that the right word?" Kyouma had absentmindedly said.

"I don't know. Did you find it unsexy?" She did a guts pose.

What about Kyouma?

It depended more on your perception of the man, a lot of the time. Frowns would fall upside down whenever he came in to crack a joke or smile. A sort of charming and fun air. Though arguably, one could say that he was a clown to be laughed at.

"Oh right. I almost forgot. Araki-kun, I need you to check up on the library for any loitering students. I don't want the teachers giving any unnecessary punishments."

He nodded.

 

"Hold on, wait a second. Why can't you do it?" 

A deep intake of air.

"I have track meetups later. I'm have to discuss something with Ichiraku-kun later."

"And leave me out here in the dust? You really have no tact don't you?" A mocking tone. One she didn't mind that much.

"I'm not that close to him Araki-kun. People just like to have him and me together since we're both nice people."

Shock.

"What? No way! Sengoku actually had some form of self-awareness to herself." He said in disbelief.

"What's that supposed to mean huh? I'm an innocent girl. Can't you tell?" New pose. She held her hands out and twirled. Spoilers, she accidentally knocked into a table.

"You hurt yourself. Do you need help with that?"

"Oh, thank you for the offer, but do you think I'm an infant?" She snapped back at him.

Well.

Yes. He did indeed see her as a child.

"I don't need help with every little thing. Also, can you explain where you got the idea of me and Ichiraku's relationship? I only ever eat ramen at his father's restaurant."

"Didn't you know the two of you were called the Gokuraku couple?"

Kyouma had always been fascinated as to how Sawako managed to attain such a nice reputation. She had many good qualities, but also much bad ones as well. However, regardless of what one thought of her, a wealth of knowledge, they acknowledged her to be. Yet that was the last thing that she would say about herself.

As a result, she couldn't attain a stable popularity. It seemed divided. Well, if she were to deny her encyclopedic brain, then knowing about your ignorant parts and not doing anything about it was still ignorance. So she was right in some way.

Gokuraku. A fusion between the last parts of Sengoku and Ichiraku's last names. The meaning of it being Paradise. This was in reference to just how nice it was to have the two of them in the same room together. It was rumoured that Sawako had been in an active, sexual relationship with him-

"That is an ugly rumour! It's a lie! I get to decide who I'm sexually active with, and if that person's going to be anyone, than it might as well be you." She pointed at Kyouma and sent a text to someone.

Message sent.

"I'm pretty flattered you'd say that, Sengoku. Though I'd rather not get into trouble with that issue."

Message not received.

Kyouma did not wish to get involved in that way; he was both too young and too old. Not only was he not allowed to freely go about in that fashion due to his physical age, but his actual age would make it even more unacceptable.

The two of them continued washing away all that time discussing the logistics of the age of consent and the next thing he knew, Kyouma was already walking a flight of stairs.

They seemed to stretch and contort to his vision. Every step seemed as if that at any given moment, he could slip off into another place, never to be seen again. To put it bluntly, his mind was wandering while going down the stairs.

Next week was the Seijin no Hi. A day where one would celebrate coming into the age of 20. Kyouma always found this to be confusing. Why mark a certain age for when you could be considered mature? Many people celebrated these in different ways. Some even prepared in advance.

Culture was always something he found fascinating. Though it was also something very peculiar and very strange. But, if it works and he has fun, then who was he to argue? Well, he could literally alter the entire world, but where would the fun be in that? Kyouma wanted to understand these people, not to change everything that he didn't like.

He had to wonder whether or not people would be alright with changing everything about themselves if it were for the sake of correcting past mistakes.

Door opened.

New setting.

The library had many books that you could choose from. A book is always a double-edged sword. Sort of like people. In a way. Possibly. You could describe it in the same way a person could make you feel. These were the notes Kyouma made on books. How convenient to be talking about books as if they were people when there were no people in the library.

He sighed. The words were getting too long. Too much exposition. Where was the excitement? He expected that by near the end of the first chapter something would happen, anything. But no. Nothing. Did this reflect his current life? He needed variety. Some change in the formula. Something to keep his attention while not banking on his ability to give said attention to something unnaturally.

So it was indeed a good way to start. The preparations. When he saw a girl.

That froze up and had gotten covered up by a cocoon in the corner of his eye.

Quite fascinating.

 


	2. Library Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conversation.

###### ᛁ᛫ᛑᛁᛑ᛫ᚿᚮᛐ᛫ᚴᚿᚮᚥ᛫ᚼᚮᚥ᛫ᛁᛐ᛫ᚥᚮᚢᛚᛑ᛫ᛂᚿᛑ

It had almost seemed overwhelming. The books. The vastness of the library and the sheer quantity of books was quite comparable to the sea. In this ocean, Chouko Tobisaru was fishing for something new. Something good. Anything really. It was as if she was marooned on a place with no food and this was the only option left. She had absolutely no problems with going out to get a new book.

So she really wished someone would tell her.

Tell her why Kyouma Araki had started following her?

Is what Kyouma assumed what she had thought throughout the day.

He had followed a guide from a film he had once seen on how to follow a girl around. Honestly, he found that it was pretty fun. He didn't lie.

The white spiralling stairs led up to the second floor of the library. Where the skylight had gently dressed them in orange. It made her brown hair look like an orange occasionally. One that would be delicious to eat. But this was getting off topic.

"Tobisaru. Do you always hang out in the library by yourself?"

Silence had answered him. She was reading something called Amore, Roma though. Progress.

The evening sun had warmly lit the already lit library which some would describe as 'pretty lit'. The room would naturally have to be lit in order to facilitate reading. That was what Chouko had been doing for the past hour. Just reading. Reading in the most well-lit part of the library, ignoring everyone who would throw a fit. Like an avid diva, leaving all the raving fans behind.

"Tobisaru. You're being called."

She perked up.

Pause.

"...who was it?" She answered quietly.

"Hey, Tobisaru. It's not very nice to ignore people, y'know?"

Silence. She creased her eyebrows, arms were holding herself in a defensive stance, eyes darted left and right.

Uncertain was certainly how she had felt.

Chouko apologised for her apparent misconduct and went along her merry way, reading.

"Tobisaru. I noticed you like reading?"

Pause.

"...yes. I'm a fan of books." She appeared to have chosen her words carefully despite how simple it actually was.

Awkward.

How was he to approach her? Chouko appeared to be one of those people who you couldn't quite wrap your heads around: you never felt like you saw through all the obviously transparent, yet invisible defenses; the type of person you always suspected had a subtle reserve, some ingenuity in selecting words, behind her lucid frankness and shy attitude.

Though, then again, Kyouma could always say most of that about himself. If another classmate were to approach her with his words (perhaps an equally quiet person that she could subconsciously relate to on an imaginary level), she would show them far less scepticism.

For the two of them had a few unclear motives, so he definitely needed to do some more research into the matter-

"Are we not drawn onward to new era?" She had whispered to herself.

Palindromes?

It appeared to be that the shoulder-length, brown-haired girl was interested in those. Well. It made sense. They were in a library, after all. Kyouma thought it might be a good idea to bring up book-related topics.

"So, Tobisaru-" Kyouma had begun to ask.

"Do you like poetry?"

Blink.

Eye contact was broken. Chouko had looked to the left slightly.

"Not in particular. I dabble in it now and again, but I'm not a huge fan."

"Really? What book are you reading over there though?"

"Amore, Roma, Araki-san. It's one of my favourite books. Sometimes I just wish I could just get lost in it and stay in that world forever."

"Eh? And refuse spending some time with me?"

Eyebrows were raised. Both parties were doing it with different context as to why.

"Araki-san. What are you doing here exactly?"

He forgot an alibi.

She stared at him for a requisite amount of time to not come up with any ideas.

"Well... I... wanted to catch up on my studies! I'm quite the studious student you know?" Add a wink and a smile and he just came up with a reasonable solution.

Confusion.

"Eh? But you said in the class chat that you weren't looking forward to the tests coming up in two weeks."

Oops.

Quick. Think of a slick, quick, thick, and believable reason as to why he was there.

"He can't have come here for me, I refuse to believe that. No-" Muttering, muttering, oh, sweet muttering. Expect the rest to be just that. Now, that gave him the chance to think of a distraction.

Kyouma had picked up one of the books that had been lying around. How convenient. A collection.

"Tobisaru-san, do you know 'Quick Haste' by Jonathan Tutor?"

"Yes, I do Araki-san, why?"

Bait took.

"Could you remind me of the first part? I forgot. I'm trying to memorize you see, haha."

She agreed. Shocking.

"Silky covers of routine leaves, this coming of age stagnating, how the weakly minded fear of change isolating-"

"Wrong."

Pause. He grinned. It seemed to work.

"It isn't 'silky covers', Tobisaru. The right word is-"

"Cocoon."

It wasn't exactly clear who had said the word. Perhaps, she had said it and was taken aback due to whatever relevance the word may have had. Maybe Kyouma had a smirk that signified victory. Either way works for what was to ensue.

"Um. Araki-san? I'm sorry to say this but I'm pretty sure it was 'covers'. I don't remember it being cocoon at all."

Ok then. Not what he was expecting. This was doable though. Indeed. He certainly did not feel deleveled for a brief second there.

"Hahaha. Does it really matter which word we use for this, Tobisaru? They're both the same thing anyway, why do you need to be right about it?"

"It does matter though! The two of them obviously have different contexts and are obviously different!"

"Oh? Explain please."

"Well, covers gives off a much greater sense of mystery don't you think? You get the sense that they're hiding away from growing up. Cocoon works as well, but I prefer it from the original thank you very much."

Getting somewhere.

"Well, uh. I just feel that way I guess. It's sort of complicated. Kinda like missing out on the deeper meaning."

"Eh? Different context? Let me try this. I want you to have a date with me."

"Eh? No, that's probably a joke." Shock was apparent on her face, and a certain area had a white substance excreting slightly.

They say that the true personality and feelings of a person come from tiny slip-ups. But in this case. In this case that seemed to be unnecessary.

"Right, right. I get where you're coming from, and I'll apologise-" Kyouma had said.

"If you go out on a date with me."

Silence.

Don't nod.

She nodded.

Red roared the young girl's face. Where it licked and swelled up from inside her, it burned a raging swell of emotions. Red, pink, peach, and was even laced with a few traces of her usual skin tone. By then, her heart had been alight.

Blush.

Kyouma was surprised as well.  He didn't expect to get the reaction that quickly. Well, he hit her with that question twice, so it at least gave her the impression that he was serious.

"Who are you, really?"

"An ancient God roaming around and hanging out at Akihabara."

"Is the school that close to Akiba? Also, why would you want to spend time there?"

Most of the time, it's used to have fun and observe how people interact. It was happy. Kyouma enjoyed the smiles of the people all around, it made him feel alive. Reminded him that he was actually a part of this living, breathing world where people could always defy expectations.

But first.

What problem did she have with Akihabara?

"I mean, the place is pretty much a tourist trap. Wait, don't tell me you're into maid cafes? Lies. Does he ever go to yuri cafes? I heard that those things exist and while I am disgusted by the prices, the idea of seeing them doing that is always-"

At some point, Chouko forgot she was even meant to be addressing Kyouma.

Flick.

"What the heck? Why'd you do that?" She rubbed her forehead.

You can understand what he did, assuming you have a basic knowledge on these tropes.

"Well, of course I used my powers to get your focus back."

Obviously.

"Haha, yeah. Tell me some stuff about being God."

"God lived as a devil dog."

Confusion was very apparent in her face.

"Palindrome, Tobisaru. I thought you liked these!" Kyouma chuckled.

"So tell me Araki-san. If you're a God, does that mean you can send me to another world?" She asked him.

Funny. He never thought about that.

"Ah, wait. I have to die first right? Haha, guess I'll need to find a truck soon."

Pause.

Laugh it off.

They both had a nice laugh at that joke.

"Hey, Araki-san. Are you perhaps Nobuyoshi Araki?"

"What the heck?! No, I don't meddle that much, you know?"

Nobuyushi Araki.

A Japanese photographer and contemporary artist. He is also known by the nickname Arākī. Araki has published over 500 books. He is known primarily for his photography that blends eroticism and bondage in a fine art context.

"Wait, isn't that just Sengoku on Friday's?"

She was confused.

"Who's Sengoku-san?"

"You whispered under your breath, Tobisaru." Kyouma commented.

"I did, did I?" Chouko seemed even more embarrassed than she did before.

"Where's everyone else? Though honestly, I'm kind of glad that no one saw that," She had said in relief, "did you maybe compel them to leave with your so-called mighty will?"

Kyouma gave another grin and stuck his tongue out.

"Why would you ask me out of the blue? I mean, I know that I don't look horrible but I'm not exactly at a God-tier level of beauty here. Wait, what am I saying, we should probably make up. Can you answer my question, Araki-san?"

"I just wanted to test something."

"Test what Araki-san! Y-you can't just mess around with me like that-"

"No, no. Not that. Just wanted to see the white silk to come out again from your legs."

Gotcha.

 

 


	3. Tobi-Saru? Sarutobi? Tobisaru?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More conversations arise.

###### ᛫ᛑᚮ᛫ᚿᚮᛐ᛫ᛌᛚᛂᛂᛔ᛫ᚼᛂᚱᛂ

Everyone seemed to have disappeared from the classroom once more. In Kyouma's head at least. But that's all that really mattered. The lights had been turned off in the classroom, leaving only the natural sunlight to set the place alight.

The wind was not an unwelcome guest as gusts came to visit through the window. Out in the distance, one could see two, three, four. Yes, four teachers cleaning the wet basketball court.

There were a few papers and notes scattered across the tables. She was sitting down, grabbing the leftover test sheets the class had used for the pop quiz. She smiled and posed dramatically on the table when she grabbed a paper.

She needed a victory jingle to go along with it.

"Oi, Sengoku. Do you know anything about Tobisaru?"

"Tobisaru? Chouko Tobisaru? She's been quite the talk around here."

Chouko Tobisaru was Chouko Tobisaru. That was more along the lines of his conversations about her with other people. Just as how Kyouma Araki was Kyouma Araki and how Sawako Sengoku was Sawako Sengoku, this merely implied one thing. That there wasn't much to be discussed about her.

Now, that's not to say that no one dislikes her or anything, but she seemed as aloof, empty, and distant as the number zero. There were an infinite amount of possibilities that could be inside that empty space, and yet, it appeared that she didn't exactly encompass any one of them definitively.

To put it short; she hadn't been that fascinating or concrete for him to put personally put his mind to seeing her.

"I heard she was a cute girl. What's with the sudden interest? Did you finally find something to get down with?"

Kyouma had almost gotten embarrassed at that line. Instead, they both smirked and chuckled. How fun.

The previous day's attempt at extracting information proved to be unhelpful. Perhaps. Perhaps not in the long run, but Kyouma wasn't trying to solve the situation over a long period of time. But first.

"I need to gather some intel."

"Oh? On what exactly? Her name?" Sawako had asked with a nearly innocent look on her face.

Kyouma did not answer that question.

"Hey, Araki-kun. Did you know that if you separate the words in her last name, you get tobi (Jump), saru? (Leave)"

"Really?"

Kyouma had to admit he didn't know that at all. He believed her. Languages were always quite fascinating, as there were countless ways one could use one word.

"But if you combine them together, you get Tobisaru (fly away)."

"That's pretty interesting. Though that's not what I'm looking for Sengoku."

Blink.

"Oh? Then why'd you ask me in the first place? Can't you use your magic to find out all that you need?"

Ouch.

He didn't want to resort to doing that.

"Well, she does have a weird name. Reminds me of Masaya Iwasaki."

Where on Earth did she make that connection?

"His ring name is Tobizaru. I haven't seen any of his recent sumo matches though. I should catch up."

"Sengoku. That isn't related to the topic in the slightest. Are you saying she's like a sumo?"

"But her name is weird though! She's like the representation of that Miley Cyrus song 'Butterfly, fly away.' Don't you think?"

Is that what her name meant?

"Oh, but the second part of her name means child. Doesn't really seem that right does it? I've barely even see her smile."

Maybe she was secretly a trained martial arts master to be able to control her face that way?

Hold, on.

"You don't even like that artist, just tell me the point in all this."

"Her name had been posted as 3rd in the exams for the empty seat in the class." Sawako began to explain, "Araki-kun, did you never notice her arrival?"

Pause.

"Ah, I was a bit busy studying."

He was busy studying people's various different reactions to different topics. Quite good at it. He believed he was.

"She moved from London last month and had studied abroad there for 3 years."

Attention was focused.

"She hasn't really tried to open up to other people and has mostly stayed to herself. That's understandable in some way, I guess. But it doesn't make that much sense though. If I were her, I'd be friend hunting."

Sawako sighed.

"I honestly really hate people like that. Always moping around with a gloomy expression. Lighten up! Grow up already."

Where was she going with all this?

"In the corner of the room, she just goes on writing and writing in a book. Doesn't she need social interaction for once?"

That was certainly true. Humans seemed to be quite fickle in that field, however.

"She probably just needs some good old-fashioned friends probably. I really wish she'd come over to talk. I'd love to have some good old, dirty fun with her."

"I think only guys are allowed to say that, Sengoku."

"Why the sudden interest again?" She said sharply.

Explanation of previous events.

Continuation.

_Silky substances had begun to emit from the back of her legs. The sweat poured down her face as the shock of what he had just said had set in._

_Kyouma had smirked once again. It had been long due for an explanation after all. How fascinating too. Covering yourself in a silk-like substance? He had never heard of humans being able to do that. Nevertheless, he was quite intrigued and therefore was intruding on this girl._

_But._

_"I'm sorry Araki-san. I have to go now."_

_There was no time, he needed to start chasing-_

_Kick._

End of flashback.

She was caught up on the story.

"Eh?! She ran away?"

"You weren't there when it happened, Sengoku. I tried chasing after Tobisaru, but the substance coming from her legs distracted me."

Not a lie. Good cover.

"Wow. I never took you for the type to chase after a woman's legs, Araki-kun."

"Even I have my limits to what you say, Sengoku."

Something he had to unfortunately admit.

"So she managed to escape that fast huh? Maybe instead of Tobisaru, she's actually the ninja, Sasuke Sarutobi."

"Didn't you just make a reference to a Sumo wrestler earlier? Why are we jumping around?"

"Araki-kun. I think Tobisaru-san was right in giving you the Tobizaru kick."

Wait.

"Hold up, why is Tobizaru kicking in a sumo match?"

"I meant the move, Tobizaru. The one Ibuki uses."

"So we went from historical ninjas to fictional ninjas."

That's a bit too extreme.

"How much research do you put into these?" Kyouma said, nearly baffled by all of the references and puns.

"Not much. Just what I can find off the internet."

Kyouma Araki, it appeared, had actually gotten somewhat impatient. He was never like this. Having fun. That was his usual schtick. However, this unforeseen collision of events had gotten him very interested in solving it. When the question of why doesn't he just use his power for this situation.

The answer was.

"I want to try and do this like a normal person."

"If that's the case, why not try grabbing a sarubobo?"

Sarubobo?

"Ah, those charms they sell at shrines?"

"Yes. I think it might be quite helpful for the lady in distress, in more ways than one."

Sarubobo for Tobisaru?

Kyouma didn't know if those charms worked. Worth a try, however.

"Are there any shrines nearby?"

"Mm. You could always go to the Tsubaki Grand Shrine. That place is dedicated to Sarutahiko Ōkami."

Understood. He'd head over to-

"Wait, where is that exactly?"

Build up.

"Mie Prefecture, in Kansai."

"Well, Araki-kun. Go on! Show me your powers!" Sawako said with a big smile.

...

It had only been a day since he first met Chouko Tobisaru at that moment. A day that was filled to the brim with details he couldn't possibly describe (mostly since he felt it was irrelevant to mention) but in those few moments. Perhaps. Perhaps he was getting more than just interested in solving the case.

Though he didn't have time to think about those things. Okay, yes he did, but he chose not to.

Kyouma decided to look around instead for any places that could be selling charms.

He had concluded that he had passed: 3 schools, 10 houses, and 15 shops. That was what led him to a playground.

It seemed like whenever Kyouma met up with Chouko, it would always be in the evening. When everything slowed down and tints of orange would be visible on everyone's faces.

In this case.

"Eh? Araki-san? How did you get here?"

"Oh. I, uh, got lost."

Honesty.

"This place is, uh, um," she took a moment to think on a word, "long from school."

This place is long from school?

He checked his phone's map.

"Actually, you know what? Nevermind that."

Information unavailable due to poor internet connection.

The wind swayed slowly as birds nestled in the trees nearby. Oh, make no mistake. There were a lot of things going on in the background; cars passing by, the traffic light next to the zebra cross, and the evening sunlight gently dressing the scene. However. However, their chirps seemed to be the only thing that filled the awkward silence between the two that they took notice of.

"So, Tobisaru. I saw you were writing in a book earlier."

Book was in her possession.

"Ah, that. Yes. I like to jot some stuff down in there in case I forget about things."

Pencil.

"Oh, I don't really use pens all that often. It's just really hard to fix if you make a mistake."

"Do you think so? Can't you always just cross over it and start over?"

"I don't really like leaving behind stains or look at my mistakes. I'd prefer to just erase it all." She said.

Time for some quickfire questions to loosen her up. He needed to do that before the main course, after all, her talking about it would be tough to take without some preparation.

Favourite genre in books?

"Isekai."

Favourite flower?

"Gardenia."

Skirts or jeans?

"Sweatpants, please."

Bra size?

"W-what the hell? I'm not answering that."

No need. He could already tell from a glance.

"What is this all about anyways?" She asked.

"Tobisaru. I wanted to talk to you about your problem."

She sat on the swing with her school uniform still on. Her brown hair unstill as she swayed slightly on the swing she was sitting on. Her bag was sitting near her, and in her hand, another book was clearly visible.

Manga?

But it was in English.

She closed the book. "So you want an explanation on the situation..."

"You can tell me in English y'know? My knowledge of ways to talk have no limits." Kyouma said with a reassuring smile.

At least he assumed it was reassuring.

And a sudden switch to English was made.

 


	4. Skip Reading The Diary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which questioning comes in.

###### ᛁ᛫ᛌᛐᚮᛚᛂ᛫ᚼᛂᚱ᛫ᛑᛁᛆᚱᚤ᛫ᛐᚮ᛫ᚱᛂᛆᛑ᛫ᚼᛂᚱ᛫ᛌᛐᚮᚱᛁᛂᛌ 

Switch.

_I never really made any close friends or anything of the sort._

_I'm not necessarily saying I was terrible at making friends._

_But..._

_It always felt as if there was a barrier that kept me from just going in and having fun with everyone. I don't want to blame growing up with two cultures, but it certainly felt as if that was one of the issues._

_I think._

_I missed London._

Skipped 20 pages.

_The heat haze had glared with an unkind smile, small amounts of wind were blown into the distance as the half-opened windows tried to catch them. Three tall figures had stood and garbled something sounding like words, understandable but incomprehensible. In the background of all of it was me, doing my best and not making a sound._

_It was honestly so confusing. The clock had been ticking since forever ago and I wasn't sure how long I had been in the office. Everything was just abstract nonsense at that point. The arguments fighting with each other seemed to blend into one another, the contrasting colours of the floor and the walls not making any impact whatsoever, and the sun shining its rays into the room._

_Without thinking, I had said aloud._

_"Slap a ham on Omaha, pals"_

_It wasn't certain that was exactly what I said, but it was definitely something like that._

_They had stopped, heads turned and faces clean of emotion. I didn't mention their confusion._

_"It's not very cold in here." I had changed the topic. That was a close one. Oh my God, what if they actually heard that?_

_They all smiled and instead told me to sit down once again._

_I watched the lightbulb flicker from time to time as the light blinded me in a calming way. Everything the light touched in the room, however, felt dramatised as if it weren't fully invested in its own setting. The table had an assortment of different papers scattered in an unclear war between each other, the chair in front of it was probably the nicest thing I had ever sat on, but the sleek design of it didn't match the ostentatious and grand look of the trophies in the corner of the room next to the door._

_"So, Chouko-san. This is the new school you'll be going to."_

_Why was I even in this office and what did I ever do anything to deserve it aside from being privileged? Appreciation doesn't always mean you feel like you belong with it, though I already knew that._

_I thought back to the time when things were much brighter, but the liveliness felt lonely now, like a life that had lived with too much excitement. Even if happiness could repeat forever it would eventually expire. I still knew that._

_The light had shone on the desk and I noticed the feeling of being ill-married to life. The window was closed and yet I still felt the harsh winds carry away the memories of being abroad that I only ever thought back to every single second._

_I had my eyes wide shut as the lights pushed them further than I would've liked. The dark abyss not quite comforting as the light always tried to invade it._

_It felt like everything was slowly crumbling, further and further as I fell down an endless hole that I couldn't escape from._

"Hey, Tobisaru. I know I asked you to explain how you're feeling right now, but did I really need your diary?" Kyouma had responded.

It wasn't in his expectations for her to just pull out a book and tell him to read it. However. However, it seemed to be that this girl was already having enough trouble speaking on her own, so she gave out a book where she had laid out her emotions like a blueprint.

But.

"This is too long." He had whispered to himself.

"I usually have trouble talking about my emotions, so I write them down a lot of the time." Chouko had responded.

"This goes beyond just writing how you feel down! Are you an author of a psychologist's handbook or something?"

Kyouma had gotten baffled by the sheer size of what she had written. Clearly, a lot of work had to be put into this. She had only been in school for a month or so and yet 2/3rds of the thick book was already filled in.

"I don't usually write in my spare time aside from this." She had said.

Eye contact was broken. She looked to left slightly. Chouko had fiddled with her skirt.

Kyouma wasn't an experienced detector, but something told him.

She was lying.

"Did you actually say a palindrome out loud in that office?"

"Of course not! I wouldn't dare say anything like that."

"So you went out of your way to add a palindrome into your story because you like them?"

"It's supposed to be my diary so I can add whatever I want!"

Kyouma sighed. It appeared to be that she was going on the defensive for now. Flirtations probably wouldn't be a good idea, as he did not want to trigger the effects of the cocoon at the moment. And at the moment, he struggled to think of something to say. That was when a miraculous idea had dawned upon him. He assumed she probably did it in her spare time, considering how meticulously she had written for her personal journal.

"Tobisaru. Are you-" he began to ask. "-a fanfiction author?"

A guest known as a small gust of wind had graced them in order to fill the silence.

Blush.

"Why do you know..." she mumbled to herself.

"I made sure that no one knew. Why. Why. Why. Why. Why. Why-"

The last time Kyouma ever heard something repeat like this was Come Out by Steve Reich.

"Yes, yes. I understand. Let's just stop talking about that." He gave up on the topic and continued on.

Tremble.

"Huh? Tobisaru?"

Sweat.

"I'm alright. Just a bit tired." She wiped her forehead of sweat.

She's not revealing everything.

"Are you alright, Tobisaru?"

"Yeah. Just a headache."

"Headaches," Kyouma said to himself.

Headaches.

Cocoons.

Stressed girl.

Closed off.

Kyouma had understood what exactly was causing her to get closed off from the rest of the world. What made her go into a cocoon. It really should have been obvious to him all along.

A spirit was clinging onto her.

"So, did you make contact with a caterpillar since coming here?"

She paused to think for a moment.

"Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana."

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean Tobisaru?"

"I've been talking to you for a while, Araki-san. Much more compared to my usual conversations."

"Glad you're talking to me, Tobisaru. But what do banana's have to do with anything?"

"Eh? Don't bugs like to eat fruit? I assumed that caterpillars would like it too."

"They eat banana leaves, Tobisaru."

"So, would you think that if I left bananas out on my table, they'd leaf it alone?"

"That's not related to this at all. Keep track, Tobisaru."

"Oh. I'm sorry. It was really growing on me."

It almost felt like a mistake for Kyouma to be the one on the subject. But miraculously, it had happened. How fascinating.

"Besides, banana season is still 7 months or so away."

"Eh? Then why do the people in Steins;Gate use bananas?"

"It's probably funnier in Japanese to say 'geru-banana' then it is to you, Tobisaru."

The two of them took a brief moment to enjoy themselves in the heat of the conversation.

"Araki-san. I really find this topic appeeling, can't we talk about it some more?"

Silence.

"You know what? I'll let that one slide." He grinned and chuckled once more.

Chouko flipped through her journal. Wait, was it a diary? Or in this case, it might be accurate to call it an inaccurate biography. Mixed with a fanfiction. Yes. She began writing in it like a ferocious fanfiction author, desperately attempting to please their fans by churning out what they could.

Why was she recording that information at the moment though? Is she at the point where she needs to write down events in her diary for her to really process them? No. It didn't seem that way to Kyouma. He had been observing. Not for long. However, he recognized her behaviour enough.

Chouko appeared to be getting tired from talking so much. Figured. She must've not been that used to long-form interactions? Wait. But wasn't the conversation not that long though? Ah, nevermind. Time flies fast when you're having fun. Like fruit flies like a banana.

It appeared to be that she had calmed down, however. That was good. But there wasn't too much time. Not then. They had a few more days until Seijin No Hi.

"Tobisaru."

She perked up and tilted her head slightly.

"You need an exorcism."


	5. Phony People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which two people walk down a road.

###### ᚴᛁᚮᚴᚢᛑᚮᚱᚮᛒō᛫ᚥᛆᛌ᛫ᛐᚱᚤᛁᚿᚵ᛫ᛐᚮ᛫ᚼᛂᛚᛔ

It all happened at the end of December.

Chouko Tobisaru came into contact with a butterfly.

In a time with mobile phones and cars, where planes that could take you across the sky and calling a stranger to pick you up from a phone was normal... It was rather embarrassing for her to admit that she was scared of butterflies and caterpillars.

So in that moment. At that moment, it seemed out of character for the aloof girl to walk up to a spider's web.

Chouko never had any particular affinity with animals. Slipping under the radar as she always did, but in this case, being unaffiliated with the trend of the quiet person being good with animals. If asked about it, like always, she would look down and close her eyes, and the opposing party would simply leave.

In this context, it would imply that Chouko did not have an opinion on butterflies and caterpillars. But no. On the contrary, she quite liked them and what they symbolised. Now, she wouldn't prefer to go into much depth on what she sees them as, but she would say she was a fan until you actually showed her one to her face.

 

A disconnect between reality and desire.

 

Chouko didn't mean to cause any trouble. She was just. Chouko just helped the butterfly escape the web. 

To answer Kyouma's questions.

"No, I didn't meet any caterpillars, but I did help a butterfly one time."

And that was what led them to start walking.

 

From Nisegakko High, where Sawako, Chouko, and Kyouma attended, it took roughly 20 minutes to arrive at a small apartment building that was located not far from the nearby neighbourhood.

Was located.

A few years ago, due to the sudden influx of renovations and new housings going around, the apartment building was mostly abandoned. The property rights of it seemed to be lost to time, and no human ever visited or even lived there.

No human.

Dangerous.

Restricted.

Private property.

"Araki-san. Where exactly are we going?" 

"My place, Tobisaru. Curious about what we're going to do there?" He chuckled again with the number of chuckles he had done being far past what was normal.

"Araki-san. Can you please explain what's going on right now?"

Kyouma gave an indescribable smile. One that was a mix of mischievous excitement and innocent reassurance.

"A date."

In hindsight.

That was a stupid move.

Kyouma wanted to facepalm.

Chouko froze for a second.

But.

"A-ah. You mean the exorcism, right?"

She rebounded.

"Yes, yes. We'll be doing that. Glad you're starting to pick up on all of this."

"You make it sound as if we're doing lewd things though." She said shyly.

Lewd things.

Kyouma was shocked. He was shaken. That revelation made his world shake and tremble. Lewd? Did his words make people think he was lewd?

A small pause.

"Mm. Well, that's just on a surface level. You gotta go deeper." He replied with an innocent face.

Nearly.

"Araki-san. Do you always say stuff like this?"

Kyouma began to ponder. Was he usually messing around with people? A pause. What exactly was even the point of him doing all of this-

"Yes, Tobisaru. Why ask? Are you uncomfortable?"

Blink.

"Honestly, I don't really mind talking about erotic things, but when you get into the details and actually do it..." she trailed off.

"It's pretty disgusting." The two of them said in sync.

That was something he could get behind. For all the jokes he enjoyed making, the actual action of procreation he found to be, what's the word? Funny? Odd? Weird? He'd usually categorise these traits to fascination, but it didn't seem to feel right for this.

The sun had already dipped deeper down into the abyss known as the rest of the world. Night was not far.

"Oh yeah, Tobisaru. Are you sure you can go here with me?"

"Mm. I usually stay out long anyway. My parents are out of Tokyo because the office called them both."

Kyouma needed to pause for a second.

Her parents left her alone while she was still adjusting?

"It's not that bad Araki-san. They're usually only gone for around a week. I'm used to it."

The watch he had been wearing went off in time with his shock. 6 PM. That reminded him that he even had a watch in the first place. Where did he get that?

"You read the mind of a God, just then. Be proud of that."

"I guess I should be honoured? Though tell me what's wrong now or I will hex you."

To what extent was her impatience?

To the point where she starts saying she'll hex him, apparently.

"Ah. Of course. But first, you're going to need to tell me the details of what you're going through."

"I get it. I get it. I get it. I get it."

"Tobisaru. You said that four times."

"I did, did I?" She said with a slight head tilt.

"Well..." she began to explain.

Flashback.

_The first time it occurred, Chouko had just finished up her first day of school. She had been walking home. She had passed by a few other schools on her journey. The girl had even managed to find a playground._

"Cut. Wait. So you're writing this on your phone and doing it in the third person now?" Kyouma had questioned.

"We're walking, so it's harder for me to write on a book."

"Ok, that makes sense. Why the sudden shift in perspective though?"

"This gives me a chance to try out a different style in writing."

Was this girl really trying to experiment with different styles in the middle of walking?

"Araki-san. I've written out more now."

How convenient for her that they were walking in a straight line on the sidewalk.

Flashback.

_3:30 PM._

_Parents were in the office until late for that night. But that hadn't bothered her as much. What she couldn't help was_

_It was when she received a text from the class group chat._

_They invited her to come over and do some group work._

_Panic immediately began to overtake her._

_Chouko didn't understand exactly why she was scared. But... But the sheer burden she had suddenly felt was unbearable. It felt as if there were needles surrounding her and that any movement she would make would instantly pierce her without remorse._

_Then..._

"Well I can't really remember much aside from that-" Chouko had stopped looking at her phone.

"-by the time that I had woken up, it was already 5 and um..." She stopped walking and paused.

"Tobisaru? What's wrong?"

"I'll tell you it later. We still need to keep moving right?"

She changed the subject.

The two of them had continued walking. Kyouma thought to an anime with a similar scenario, but the two main leads were going by bicycle instead. How convenient. However, as much as he wished that this story could end up like that one. These two stories were, in fact, different in spite of their similarities.

"Hey, Araki-san. When are we getting there and what's really wrong with me-"

"We've arrived, Tobisaru."

She saw a nice and simple house. There wasn't anything much to say about it. Just a relaxing, quiet, and medium-sized building that sat next to a place where being run down would actually be considered a compliment. Then Chouko realised something.

"Make yourself at home, Tobisaru. We might even be able to have fun if you do so." He winked and went inside the place she had just been dreading.

At least, Kyouma predicted this was how she felt. Thankfully, he got confirmation.

"Shit."


	6. Diary Log Of The Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a girl gets very engrossed in her writing.

###### ᛁ᛫ᚿᛂᛂᛑ᛫ᛐᚮ᛫ᚼᛂᛚᛔ᛫ᚼᛂᚱ᛫ᛒᛂᚠᚮᚱᛂ᛫ᛁᛐ'ᛌ᛫ᛐᚮᚮ᛫ᛚᛆᛐᛂ 

**Log.**

_There she was. Walking down the street with him. She felt nervous. What was the exorcism going to be like? Chouko remembered a show where they killed super zombies in old Japan with steampunk. Was she going to another world?_

_Chouko had walked down the street with him and had a nice chat with him. However, she did think that he was dodging her questions a bit more than she would have liked._

Skip.

_Ok. I've ditched the third person thing. It was getting harder to relate to myself, to be honest. So time for me to explain a little again._

_We were walking down the street when I saw it. A tiny little apartment complex. I think I'm going to skip out on describing it; I'm on my phone and can't go into much detail. But! But. But. Actually, wait. Hold up. It looks kinda like Count Olaf's mansion aesthetic if it was smaller and a building._

_Wait. Hold on. Is that actually his house? No way. Beside it. The smaller one. That building, I saw a nice and simple home. There was much to be desired with it, but it looks like a quaint little shack. I think it would be nice to live in._

Skip.

_Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit. How the hell does he live in this place? I saw grime as I passed by. Oh, wait, he's calling me again._

Skip.

_Ok. He's been saying some pretty weird stuff. Though it might be better to pretend that I don't understand what he's saying._

Skip.

_I don't know if I'm the one aware or if he's just not. Either way, this makes things incredibly awkward. Oh, God. What s, ould I do? Wait. Calm down. It isn't that. Exorcism. Yes. I'm not doing this or that with him. I don't even want to do that. I don't even feel attraction to-_

Skip.

_Kiokudorobō._

_A spirit that clings onto poor unfortunate souls. What the heck, did he just call me-, you know what, nevermind. The Kiokudorobō can take on many forms, but in my case, it had taken the form of a butterfly._

_This God is apparently quite the enthusiastic type. It very much wants to give a helping hand, but it appears to have the most unfortunate results._

_This one searched for a host that had been experiencing a lack of growth. One that is stuck to the past and refuses to look forward._

_Someone closed off._

_The Kiokudorobō, in this case, had thought it would be best to show the current state of my heart in times of extreme emotion. In exchange for something._

_My memories._

_Ok. I need to stop listening to him at this point. What does that mean? I mean, I know I have problems with speaking, but that's just the way I am._

_A lack of growth is something I can kind of understand. Honestly, sometimes, I just feel like that no matter what I do, I just can't seem to change in any way. I don't think that people can really change who they are inside. And I think that applies here._

_I'm useless._

_I can't do anything._

_Enough._

_That's not true._

_No._

_It is._

_I can't read Japanese well enough, I can't speak to others, I can't do anything._

_Why do I need to change for the people who know nothing about me?_

_What's up with that whole current state of heart thing? Does this mean that my emotions right now are hiding away? No. Maybe it means I'm better off gone in this prison than I am outside._

_I don't even know anyone who talks about palindromes in London, let alone here. I have to be honest. I don't think I can keep in contact with my friends over there. I just don't think our timezones could make it work. Oh God. Am I losing them?_

_I don't want to think about this. Why am I thinking about this? Why do I even have these thoughts to start with? No one here understands anime that much and I can't bring in the shows and stuff that I watch. It feels like we're fundamentally different. I want to hide. I don't want this. I don't want this. I don't want this._

_It's scary._

_I don't want to go out there._

_Why did I have to leave London?_

_It's just._

_Everyone seems so hostile to me. They probably don't mean anything, but every look I get feels like they're trying to pry into my soul and attack me. Everything always feels on edge._

_I've always felt... unneeded. Like without me, nothing much would be affected? It feels like I was never part of the grand plan, that I was merely a pawn in the game or a background decoration only meant to be looked at for a second._

_If the gift of life is the greatest thing that you can ever feel, does that mean the rest of your life is a disappointment? With every breath, you take it's only an after effect of a glorious moment never to happen again? Even while we are already devices used to further another story for someone else's amusement?_

_The only escape I have from this torment is by doing what anyone in the background does._

_Disappear._

_I can't do this._

_I don't want to do this._

_Please don't._

_Let me die in here._

_I don't mind being stuck in a cocoon._

_He said something again. I wrote down what I needed though._

_Wait._

_He's doing something-_

**Log End.**

 


	7. Count From 7:30 PM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little experiment.

###### ᚼᚮᚿᛂᛌᛐᚤ᛫ᛁᛌ᛫ᚴᛂᚤ᛫ᛐᚮ᛫ᚥᛁᚿᚿᛁᚿᚵ᛫ᛆᚵᛆᛁᚿᛌᛐ᛫ᛁᛐ 

"Kiokudorobō."

"What is that, Araki-san?"

"The Memory Thief. Tobisaru." Kyouma explained to her.

Chouko went back on her phone to write something.

The building had been abandoned for quite a while. The walls had been slowly cracking at itself with a colour scheme Kyouma would describe as 'Concrete Grey'. There were around 3 floors that had small rooms onto small rooms. Not much was really needed to be said about the ghost house (excuse that, God House would be more accurate). Nothing special about it in the slightest.

A small complex for many.

A big house for one.

Since it was originally an apartment complex, the rooms were divided into multiple living spaces that would be considered claustrophobic for any person who lived with more than one pet. For each of the rooms, they had one door that could lead into the one next to them. Convenient for those who did, in fact, live with more than one person.

Kyouma then began to think. How was he to explain to her what the aberration was?

Answer.

"Hey, Tobisaru. Do you watch One Piece?"

"Actually, yes! I do! Honestly, I feel like the hate it gets is a bit overkill because it's gone on for long. But I think the characters and story are really good and lend themselves well to an endless adventure! It's much better than that crap called Fa-"

Clap.

Silence.

"Tobisaru. You just rambled and possibly nearly insulted someone just now."

"I did, did I?" Chouko chuckled and giggled, with a hint of embarrassment mixed into it. Kyouma would have to try that mix out sometime. Might be tasty.

"Araki-san. Do you have any preferences when it comes to shows?"

Ah.

It came to that question now.

"I don't have any preferences. I just go out and take whatever I can get." He said with a wild smirk on his face.

That could be taken sexually.

"Eh? But don't you have any favourites?"

She didn't take it that way.

"I mean, I have quite a few favourites on my list. One of them is even about superheroes!" She exclaimed. The echo produced scaring her back into submission. Odd, considering that she was the one in control of her voice.

"Right. Did you ever watch episode 224?" Kyouma had asked.

"Ah - Honjou O Awarashita Kioku Dorobou no Saigo Gyakushuu!"

Apparently, she couldn't understand when Kyouma just said Kiokudorobō, but she could say Honjou O Awarashita Kioku Dorobou no Saigo Gyakushuu just fine.

Because it was in an anime.

He was okay with that.

"So in that episode, Luffy returns and fights with Zoro, right? Noko's pet seahorse, Tatsu, ends up spreading illusions of the people in their memories to distract them and ends up stealing their memories."

She was honestly so well informed in the places she was interested in.

"So you're saying my memories have been getting stolen? What does that have to do with a cocoon?" She had asked.

Kyouma had to spearhead a new solution to the dilemma they were in. She understood the basic idea for it, but they were quite different when he really thought about it. Wait. Why did he even use that analogy, to begin with again?

"Oh look. We're at my room now."

"?" She tilted her head.

"Did you really just say question mark?"

Silence.

The man had turned to the door that was right next to him, almost as if to say that it didn't matter which room they had to enter through.

Araki-san. Are we going to be doing um... indecent things?" She asked shyly.

Pause.

Girl.

Boy.

Alone.

At his house.

He hadn't connected the dots together.

"No? Why ask?"

Silence.

"Oi. Tobisaru! What are you writing this time?"

Silence.

"I'll leave it at that." He smiled and gave the door in front of him a tattarrattat.

The interior of his house was indescribable.

Literally.

But there could certainly be attempts.

An empty void of no colour but vantablack.

It was strangely comforting to say one thing, and the alarming calmness even made it to Chouko's awareness in that place, and she closed her eyes to ponder on what it could exactly mean.

A window was below them when she opened her eyes, for they were inside an empty room. The walls were moving left, right, up, and centre, yet never touching whatever is in its way. Doors were also nonexistent in that room, for the only things inside it were the two beings known as Kyouma Araki, Chouko Tobisaru, and the window on the floor.

The room spun in a delayed fashion, moving frame by frame; just enough to signify its moving, but not enough to show fluidity.

It would come straight at them and head towards the centre, but also stretch out to where horizons should be seen, a marvellous visual contradiction was the place they were in.

The window that served as the ground they stood upon was nothing more than mere glass, a sky was below them, the light shining into the room and the stars almost visible.

Taking a step forward, it created a beautiful pattern akin to a kaleidoscope on the glass.

The look of amazement on her face was indescribable.

But there could certainly be attempts.

"It's bigger on the inside than it is on the outside." Chouko had said to herself. She almost seemed proud to finally have the chance to say it. Wonder why.

He turned back to her and sat on the couch that materialised.

"I don't need you to comment on everything. Just nod if you understand and dance if you don't. Write it down on your phone for good measure."

"Why do I have to-"

Explanation.

1 hour later.

"It doesn't actually have a name; the type of creature this is. However, in your case, we shall be calling it the Kiokudorobō."

Nod.

Tobisaru?

She appeared to be highly engrossed in what she was writing.

Kyouma called out her name. She responded with a distant look on her face.

Time for a little experiment.

"Tobisaru. Do you understand what exactly I said?"

Nod.

Something was off.

"Tobisaru."

"Yes, Araki-san?" She responded.

Delayed reaction. Eye contact was broken. She had looked to the left slightly.

She was hiding something.

Kyouma watched as she went back onto her phone and typed something out. He took a few steps forward.

He took her phone.

A guest known as a small gust of wind had graced them in order to fill the silence. It honestly seemed like anything was possible in that room.

Her face was indescribable.

But there could certainly be attempts.

Red roared the young girl's face. Where it licked and swelled up from inside her, it burned a raging swell of emotions. Red, pink, peach, and was even laced with a few traces of her usual skin tone. By then, her heart had been alight.

"Give it back!" She roared.

No.

"Give it back!" She cried again.

Refusal.

Then suddenly, a substance started to excrete from her legs. However, instead of a small dribble like last time, it exploded out and began to spew out in all directions.

It was trying to trap them.

However, before she could do any damage.

"Fall into a pit."

The floor below her suddenly shattered where she was standing. The shards went upwards and ripped up some parts of her sailor uniform, as she fell into the abyss.

Chouko began to pedal her feet in a motion most would call walking, and she raised her arms into the typical balancing pose many would use, but using it to balance yourself while falling into blue skies was probably not the intended use of it. She sliced through the clouds below and felt like she was falling eternally.

She had only fallen 3 feet into a tiny pit.

The substance appeared to have gotten her glued to that spot; she couldn't move at all. It covered her arms and legs but never quite made it up to her torso. Perhaps it was because she was interrupted while in her unfortunately unsexy transformation, or maybe it was due to a sudden change in heart.

Though there was one thing of note, however. However, however, however. It seems like that word is a new favourite.

The clothes she wore around those sections had been destroyed as if acid was on it.

So that was what she was embarrassed with earlier on in the last few chapters of this tale.

Last time she had been in the cocoon for around one and a half hour. The day he saw her it seemed like much longer than that.

He needed to wait for when it would melt away that time.

Starting from 7:30 PM.

 


	8. Thank You, Mr. God

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another conversation we've seen before. I think?

###### ᛌᛆᚥᛆᚴᚮ᛫ᛁᛌᚿ'ᛐ᛫ᚼᛂᛚᛔᚠᚢᛚ᛫ᛆᛐ᛫ᛆᛚᛚ 

"Eh? So it really ended in such an anticlimactic way? Araki-kun, you really have no tact."

The two of them sat on a bench in the abandoned complex. It had been 12 hours since Chouko had her little chapter.

Kyouma watched as the rain fell to the ground from inside. The brilliant lights of the town and sky rendered invisible. It made him wonder what he could see once it finally stopped.

They had heard each drop overlapping each other, hiding any voice without a choice. The rain flowed down into a dark puddle.

"Though I have to ask. Have you fed her yet?" Sawako questioned. She seemed mildly concerned as if she were talking about a distant friend. Made sense.

"No. Why?"

Silence.

Life apparently had dropped a punch on more than just the window panes. The impact also hit him in the face. Oh, wait.

"Araki-kun. I can appreciate that you brought me here. Are you planning on starving her?" She prepared herself for a slap to come with her next punch.

"Scientific research shows that the human body can go up to 3 weeks with water being only 1 week."

That was just common knowledge.

Next attack.

He took the hit.

"Araki-kun! People are still starving in that time you know? Are you a moron?"

A moment of pause was needed for the scolding he received. Like a good boy, Kyouma decided to nod and listen to her as she went on and on.

So let's take a break from that, shall we? We'll cut back when it's relevant.

_Cut._

Chouko stuck to the room, wrapped in the dread made flesh as she looked at the broken dreams scattered across the room.

Glittering glass rain had fallen on the shelf doing its damn best to have hope it doesn't collapse. However, those were only minor compared to the damage done to the table without legs and flattened couch.

It was clear as the puddles from the rainy outside as to who was exactly responsible for such a heinous crime. The thought of someone who had the audacity to do such a thing had enraged her to a very quick end.

Yes. Chouko Tobisaru was indeed mad at herself. For messing up his room while being trapped in a small pit.

Living the dream.

That seemed to be no good.

Now, Chouko had wondered to herself how exactly she messed up his room, to begin with. She couldn't remember. Did she write down how she did that? She felt as if it was her fault. But something was missing. She felt as if there were things that she couldn't put her finger on.

Oh right. She forgot she was unable to move her fingers at all; she was stuck.

_Cut._

"-and that's why Rika is a total snake and that they should never give her an actual route."

"Yes, yes. Sengoku. I understand now."

Not at all. Though he didn't plan to tell her that.

"Oh yeah. Sengoku. Who's your substitute for today since you're skipping?"

"Ah. Asobi-kun. Kotoba Asobi. He's very good with his Japanese and English, so I'm sure he'll be fine."

She seemed to have finally calmed down.

So, Araki-kun. Did you get her any food at all?"

"There's a mikan orange on an aluminum can." He responded.

She snapped her fingers and smiled suddenly.

"Fun fact, Araki-kun. In Japanese, if you take aluminum can (Arumikan) and split it in half, you get an orange (aru mikan)"

Wasn't she just concerned with someone's life earlier? Not that Kyouma minded the subject change though.

"By the way, Araki-kun. Why are you broadcasting Tobsaru-san on the wall right there?"

It seemed as if the wall itself was a screen. It projected a young girl in a pose similar to crucifixion, stuck in a bizarre room in a pit that was only 3 feet deep.

"To keep an eye on her, of course." Kyouma wasn't irresponsible. He needed to time her of course.

Silence.

The droplets continued to fall forever. Sawako wondered to herself how long she would gaze up into that sky as most would say it never beats the bright blue.

They didn't feel like doing anything; a somewhat languid afternoon. She listened to the lazy, hazy beat of the rain.

"Hey. Araki-kun." Sawako said quietly.

Kyouma tilted his head.

"Do you remember when I talked about Sarutahiko Ōkami? He had a wife known as Ame-No-Uzume." She started to say.

"The Sun God, Amaterasu, had been hiding away in a cave because of a dispute she had with the other Gods, but Ame-No-Uzume had devised a plan to get her out of her hiding space."

"Hey, Araki-kun. Are those Gods real?" She asked him.

Kyouma honestly couldn't exactly answer her. He hadn't come to Earth at that point in time. He hadn't been fascinated by all the peculiar creatures that inhabited it. It was such a hodgepodge of different deities and humans living together in one singular planet. He wasn't exactly sure whether or not they were lying about all the past experiences and histories of creation. However, he was a level above them in the fact that he never lied about having invented their peculiar world.

Or maybe he did out of boredom? Who knows. Kyouma had been silent for a while.

"I'm glad to have gotten so fascinated with you, Araki-kun." She said to herself.

"Thank you, Kami-sama. I couldn't have gotten through that problem without you."

Blink.

It wasn't taken in any other context.

"I called you here because I needed some help. Thanks for coming."

If Kyouma had said that he needed help talking to a girl to her, he would have never been able to live that down. Oh indeed. How unfortunate that our poor boy here doesn't know how to talk to women after being so good at it too.

Besides. She refused to talk to him for some strange reason that he couldn't possibly fathom the reason for. Yup.

"Hey, Araki-kun. If you're the God and you're trying to save the woman who hides away, maybe I can be Ame-No-Uzume and talk her down."

Sawako continued.

"Though if I can't talk to her, just remember she's only been in school for about a week."

He smiled softly.

She offered it on her own.

"Maybe, I'll even be able to get really close and intimate with her too-"

Denied.

"Alright. I was just joking." She winked.

Sawako stepped into the room and sat down on the floor.

"Tobisaru-san? Chouko Tobisaru?" She called out.

The response was a small groan.

It began.


	9. Conversations Fly Like Butterflies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We see cracks begin to unfold.

###### ᛁ᛫ᛑᛁᛑ᛫ᚿᚮ᛫ᚥᚱᚮᚿᚵᛌ᛫ᚼᛂᚱᛂ.᛫ᛁᛐ᛫ᚥᛆᛌ᛫ᛆᛚᛚ᛫ᚼᛂᚱ᛫ᚠᛆᚢᛚᛐ᛫ 

 

Before Sawako entered the room.

Context.

"Araki-kun. Did you ever keep the book about myths I gave you?"

"Ah. That thing. I wouldn't want to waste anything you give me, Sengoku." Long, drawn out, and laced with a playful tone.

Back to normal.

"I was thinking about this whole situation. Why is it showing how her heart feels in this way?" She had asked.

That.

Was honestly a good question.

Kyouma couldn't think of any reason as to why the Kiokudorobō chose to specifically manifest her current state of mind. Gods were always quite the fickle thing in his experiences. He should know, considering his background. However, he had a reason for not knowing exactly who or what these Gods were.

"Gods are everywhere and nowhere at the same time. I could say that I've always known you before, but at the same time, saying I just met you last year or never at all. When said like this, it sounds like a Zen or something."

"Shinto. I believe."

"Again. How much research do you put into this stuff?"

"Just whatever that interests me." She winked.

Kyouma brought out the book they had just been discussing from his bag.

"Hey, Araki-kun. Do you know the story of The White Butterfly?"

He shook his head.

"Once upon a time, there was this old man named Takahama, who lived a very quiet life. He had been quite a wealthy person too, but he had never married anyone in his life. Even though he had every opportunity to get any woman he could have desired."

Kyouma nodded along.

"One day, he was found to be extremely ill when his sister and nephew came to visit. As the old man began to sleep, a white butterfly rested on his pillow after flying around his face. The nephew tried to shoo it away three times, but the butterfly persisted in staying by his side."

Where was she going with this?

"Once he died, the butterfly flew out of the house. The nephew chose to chase the butterfly and it eventually lead him to the grave an old woman who had died sixty years ago named Akiko. But there were still fresh flowers near her grave."

"What would you do in that situation?"

Kyouma pondered on this for a second. He didn't understand the point of telling him this tale.

"Honestly, I wouldn't do anything. I'm not the most knowledgeable once one dies. I mean, I know a few of the basics, but haven't gotten down to talk to the deceased about it."

"It turns out that Akiko was actually a woman that Takahama was hopelessly infatuated with. They even got engaged, but sadly, she died before their wedding day. He went to her grave every day to clean it and give it flowers."

Still didn't understand.

"The point that I'm trying to make here is the mythic theme of the power of love to transform. The woman's transformation into the butterfly is supposed to echo our own hopes of being able to transform. Both literally and figuratively."

Ah.

Butterflies can represent change.

 "So what you're saying is that the reason why Tobisaru's state of mind is being shown in specific is to get her to bear her soul to us and change?"

What an odd God. 

 "Trying to help someone in such a roundabout way. I understand why they chase after people like her though." Kyouma sighed out.

"Though I will admit. She was much better off than you were when I met you, Sengoku." 

"Oh shut up. You couldn't have gotten out of trouble without me."

It was completely possible for him to stay in school without her help. But it was nice to have someone looking out for him.

 

Back to the present?

 

"Tobisaru-san! Are you feeling downcast?" Sawako called out.

Her daze was finally broken.

An English pun.

Chouko was still stuck to the pit with the silky substance keeping her hostage. She attempted to squirm her way out of the trap, but only managed to groan and moan inside of it. The clothes she wore in the covered area were ruined and gone.

So if we were to use a male gaze as a way to gauge her level of eroticism. Excuse this. Imagine a panning shot of a high school girl squirming around in a tight, bonding substance with her clothes sizzled off while she squeals and moans in agony.

Anyways, the point here is that she looked like she came out of a fanservice sequence. A very botched one at that too. Kyouma felt that if he were an actual teenager gazing at this body, he would be called a pervert and that she's a respectable lady. Thankfully he was watching this all from a screen outside. He was completely removed from the situation and not at all held accountable for this. Yes.

"Are you a friend of Araki-san?" Chouko questioned.

"I'm your classmate, Tobisaru-san. I don't think we've met properly."

Conversation started.

Silence.

"So! What are your hobbies? What was London like?"

Silence.

"Well, I can talk for a little bit if you don't mind?"

Silence.

Chouko went on her phone.

**Log.**

_Ok. My arms are back. I can write on my phone again. I honestly don't know what I was thinking when I lunged at Araki-san._

_I felt like I couldn't hear a thing, raindrops had fallen and taken away the colours I had seen from May. The room felt stale and sterile with no one left to comfort me but myself. Even if I had chosen to forget everything and sleep, the feeling would always creep back to me and wake me back into the unnerving silence. I knew that well._

_I attempted to stand up only to be reminded of the silky, sticky blanket I had. I was unsure of what exactly to do. It didn't matter to me if I ate anything as it tasted bland, like a doll made out of clay. The feeling of being stuck sunk in as I did just that to the pit._

_Did the cocoon just grow a bit or was it just me?_

_What am I doing with myself? Sometimes, I don't get me. I want to get out there and do more stuff, but it always feels like a struggle. I have to put in so much effort just to put myself out there and then everyone else starts telling me that I've done nothing._

_Who the hell are they? Not me. They don't know me. They don't know how much it willpower it takes for me to even speak. I can't think properly right now. Ugh. Moving on._

_As much as I hate being in this awful place, there's nowhere else to go on this planet. Yeah. It feels suffocating. While it is a good life, I always end up looking from an outsider's perspective and wonder if it's really ok for me to be doing this._

_It's not even everyone else's fault. Mum and dad are doing their best to help me out, the teachers have been really accommodating, and the people around me aren't even bad people. So why? Why does it feel so alien? Shouldn't I know this place? I grew up here. Ugh. I can't even with myself._

_Maybe. It's my fault. Maybe I'm just a useless person. I'm not very smart, I'm not very social, not the kindest, not the best at sports. I feel like I might collapse again if I go to school. I haven't talked to my mum about that in a while. It just feels like I'm whining._

_I haven't made any huge accomplishments without much effort; it almost feels like autopilot. I'm scared of putting in the effort to get out there. I don't feel comfortable. All I'm good at is smiling and nodding._

_I've always wished I could be someone else. Someone better. Like in those shows. It's such a nice dream. But I'm not in a cartoon and that's the reality. I just want to sink to the bottom of the ocean and fade away-_

Cut. There's a reason why most of her logs get skipped.

"-so 'Is there a dolphin?' In Japanese is 'Iruka ga iruka?' The joke here is that the word 'iruka' gets repeated twice but since it's in a different context, it can mean that."

Kyouma wondered on any possible way to get her to talk. There wasn't much time too. Only a one, a two, and a three- yes, three days left until Seijin No Hi. A very specific time limit placed by the Kiokudorobō. However, it was a limit that was still doable, he thought.

Everything was stretched too thin past the point of recognition. The haze and blaze of the rain outside pushed the cognition. How odd. The room changed. Instead of a clear sky below them, everything was cloudy with a chance of thunder. The spinning kaleidoscope type of look that someone would get when they looked at the floor had gone. Instead. Yes, instead there was a floor of glass that appeared to slowly close into the top instead.

Did that make sense? Probably not. But Kyouma was fascinated at the change in his room.

Now how was he to-

"Can you just shut up already?!" Chouko screamed out.

Nevermind. Time to step into the room.


	10. Calming Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chouko starts to calm down.

###### ᚼᛂᚱ᛫ᛔᛆᛁᚿ᛫ᚥᛆᛌ᛫ᚠᛁᚿᛆᛚᛚᚤ᛫ᚱᛂᚡᛂᛆᛚᛂᛑ 

A pretty good understanding of Chouko Tobisaru was something that Kyouma assumed to have. Go on her phone and leave whatever conversation she isn't interested in. Indeed. It appeared that she dodged anything that made her feel uncomfortable or was out of her comfort zone. Kyouma predicted that she'd probably leave Sawako to ramble and to continue writing on her phone-

"Can you just shut up already?!"

Eh? Did she just say something?

"Shut the hell up already. I'm tired of hearing your voice."

Ah.

She exploded.

"Tobisaru-san. What's wrong exactly?"

Chouko seemed provoked.

"My problem? My problem is all these people going on and on and on and on about adapting. Then minutes later just going right the fuck out of nowhere, attacking me about knowing this and that. What fucking hypocrites. Who the fuck are you to insult me without knowing what I've been through."

"I don't see where this is going." Sawako said with a slight head tilt. Was she enjoying this?

Chouko had been speaking Japanese with some modicum of success. Let it be noted that she's speaking English as of the moment. Or maybe just forget about that aspect. Either way works since she continued to-

"What the hell were my parents thinking to put me in this school huh!? They thought it was a good school. Well, screw that! I'm not fucking learning anything. All these asshats do is dump crap on us and expect us to learn it. I thought the school was meant to teach us shit. How the fuck am I supposed to learn if you don't fucking teach it?"

Stepped in.

"Oi. Tobisaru. Are you tired from being down there for too long? I can always grab an orange-"

Pain.

She kicked Kyouma right in the stomach. He groaned.

Did not expect that.

"Who the fuck are you to tell me that I'm problematic huh? Who the fuck are you? Why the hell should you care that I lose my memories or die or some shit? You a fucking saint?"

Silence.

That brought a decent question.

"And can't you tell that I'm tired? Look at me! I'm a fucking mess! You just did the most obvious thing. Congrats there; A+ for the effort. Not that I'm ever going to get that again. You know how much easier they have it there compared to here? Who the hell likes the system here?"

Was it really that different?

Kyouma honestly couldn't tell.

"Tobisaru-san. Do you want to calm down?"

"Calm down? This is from being calm for too long! Don't assume the quiet ones are always quiet!"

She inhaled deeply.

Chouko.

Chouko had gotten tired, miraculously.

"Just... ugh... go already you slag! Belt up with all your daft puns and go sod off! Bloody hell. Why am I even here?"

Chouko had stood her ground and walked up to Sawako. Her eyes had burned with a sense of confusion and anger. Sawako appeared to have been aware of this, looking back.

"Oh? Using British slang now, are you? You really know how to charm a gal."

A short period of silence.

"Please. Just shut up. Shut up. Just be quiet already..."

A moment of silence had graced them all once again. The room had calmed down. It had turned into something resembling the previous form, but instead of a nice and clear sky.

It had started raining.

"I just can't do this anymore..." she kneeled on the ground and bawled her eyes out. That's when both Sawako and Kyouma finally noticed something.

She got out of the cocoon.

Her outburst had been surprisingly short considering how much pressure she had built up. Chouko sighed and shook her head as she knelt, almost as if she were praying that she could have more words; to have something, anything to say. But she had run out.

She couldn't even express her rage properly in her mind.

"Can't this thing just end me already? I don't even need this life and no one else cares about it too."

Slap.

Shock.

Confusion.

Anger.

Silence.

"Tobisaru-san. Don't you dare say that." Sawako rested her hands on her shoulders.

"Who the hell are you to say that no one cares about you. Don't ever talk about throwing your godamn life."

"But-"

"I don't fucking care what excuse you have right now. There are people out there who are doing their damn hardest to live on this shithole, and you're saying that your life which has been privileged with going overseas is worth throwing away. You don't know how it feels to suffer yet."

In an attempt to calm the situation, these were not the wisest or best words to say. However. It seemed to have worked. It appeared to have gotten Chouko to stop thinking about those thoughts for the short time being. That, you see, was all she wanted to obtain for now. Regardless of the means, she used to get there.

Is what Kyouma assumed was her thought process. If that was the case.

Gulp.

From both Kyouma and Chouko.

"Well then. That settles things! Look! You've gotten yourself out of the cocoon!"

Silence.

"Tobisaru-san?"

"What do you know about me..." she mumbled to herself.

Time to finally step in.

"Tobisaru. Just sit down for now, and let's talk about what's been going on with you." He had explained carefully.

Kyouma's eyes narrowed down slightly as he looked at Sawako. Why in his own name did he think that bringing her over was a good idea? This was the same woman who was primarily known for poking around in anything she was curious about, with no regards as to how the opposition felt about it. Sawako had lucked out with him as he didn't have any particular issues with her. However. However, an idiot could understand the possible effects words like that could have on someone.

She did not. Though his gaze and will alone seemed to snap Sawako out of that mindset. Almost as if there were an aura around him that demanded that she tried to be more understanding.

The three of them all sat down on the floor and continued the everlasting conversations that seemed to proliferate the adventure.

"Tobisaru-san. Would you mind explaining to me what's wrong with you?"

Communication error.

"I haven't been feeling the best about myself for a while now."

Chouko received the intent.

She was learning.

"Are you sick? Why are you even doing this exorcism right now? Do you want to do it?"

She fiddled with her thumbs for a brief second. Nervous, she was.

"Honestly, I don't even know why I'm going to you two for help. It just feels like I need to get out of my own head a bit."

"Really? Tell me about that, Tobisaru." Kyouma had chimed in.

"Well, I just..." she trailed off.

"I'm going crazy."

A moment of silence was taken for that sentence. Not that they had said anything. Continued to listen.

"I keep focusing on dumb crap that doesn't even matter. My brain gets stuck on these stupid things that don't matter anymore."

"Wow. That sounded pretty rough there. Yeah, Tobisaru. I get that school is stressful. You can always chat about it with me-"

"Eh? Tobisaru-san, that sounds really serious. I can always help you find some special relief if you'd like?"

"Ew, no. That's not even related to the topic, Sengoku-san. Saying this out loud already helps out a ton."

Her breaths had been getting longer and longer; from hyperventilation to a slow and steady rhythm.

"Are you saying that you don't talk about this with other people?" Sawako seemed befuddled. Shocked? Confused? Bewildered? Perhaps all of those emotions.

Pause.

"No... My mum knows that I get depressed and have panic attacks. I don't talk about it with my dad because he never seems to get where I'm coming from."

Her eyes had dropped down.

"That's about it."

"No wonder you feel trapped, Tobisaru. How do you cope with... anything?"

In hindsight to saying that, he probably already knew. Kyouma prepared himself for an onslaught of-

"I usually just write in my journal. Not much else. Also getting angry on the internet helps."Chouko smiled a little.

Sawako seemed lost in thought. Then she had asked.

"So, what does it feel like?"

Chouko understood what she meant.

"It sucks."

"Tobisaru-san! Come on! Tell me! Tell me!" She waved her arms around.

Silence.

"It... feels like I'm on a stage with a blindfold on. It feels claustrophobic, but I feel so exposed. I can't see anything but it feels like needles for eyes are staring down at me... ugh. I don't know. It's hard to explain. It just really blows."

They all stared at each other.

"I remember when I felt normal before. Though nowadays, it feels like that was always a lie. Maybe I'm just always messed up."

"Tobisaru-san. I hate it when people say things like that. Know that there are people out there who care about you."

"Yeah. I know."

No rain. Just skies. A blue sky with clouds was below them in the room, and a blue sky was above them out in the sky. The three of them just spent time sitting together. Kyouma had absentmindedly closed the gap between the three of them. Sawako's breath had gotten longer and more drawn out, very audible too as if she were expecting something more.

"Hey, Araki-san. Why did you come down here and try to help me anyway?"

"Oh look. Tobisaru. You're nearly nude." Long, drawn out, and sarcastic.

Confusion.

"Eh?"

Sailor uniform had been sizzled up until her bosom, leaving her nipples censored. Her panties had been ruined as well and were very wet and sticky from a white and silky substance she was covered in earlier. Her skin had gleamed as if she had just put lotion on, and yet there were still marks in the places where she struggled the most.

Blush.

"Tobisaru. Meet me at the abandoned shrine in the woods on Monday at night. We'll perform the exorcism there."

Nod.

It almost seemed like she had fifty different shades of red on her face; gradient red from her eyes, redder on her cheeks, nose, ears. All around, a tomato with a face was in front of him.

"I'll explain to you what exactly happened later on. Just get dressed for now."


	11. Driving To The Endpoint

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey to get to the shrine is filled with conversations

###### ᛑᚱᛁᚡᛁᚿᚵ᛫ᚥᛆᛌ᛫ᛆ᛫ᛔᛆᛁᚿ 

"Hey. Araki-san? Why are we doing this the night before Seijin No Hi?"

"I don't think exorcising a God in front of 1,300 people would be a good idea."

Nod.

"Ah, I got that. But I still have to wear a furisode?"

"Gods have different preferences and standards based on what culture they come from. In your case, the Kiokudorobō is Japanese."

"I see. Well, I guess it's a very cultured person. These kinds of things usually fly off the top of my head. I mean, usually, the idea floats around for a while but it never really gets a chance to spread its wings and really take off-"

Yellow light.

Slow down.

"Hey. Araki-kun! I know you're like older than all of us, but how did you get a car?"

Not telling.

"But a car... how on Earth did you get a license and a car? Do you pay taxes?" Chouko had asked.

Secret.

The two of them frowned.

Now if we added Kyouma to that two, three of them decided that it would be best to go by some form of a vehicle. Either it be a taxi or public transport, anything would have beaten going by bicycle or walking. A motorcycle was out of the question as three teenage-sized bodies would be more than uncomfortable for a long trip.

The titular main leads of the tale had been sitting at the front, while Sawako had been in the backseat. Apparently, she really liked to stretch and lie down without any restrictions.

"Sengoku-san! You should put your seatbelt on."

"Eh? I usually don't do that in the back."

"What if we get into a car crash or suddenly slow down though?"

"The person that's driving is literally God. I kind of have faith that he can keep us safe. It's pretty yakumashiku (insignificant) when you know where you're going."

She raised her eyebrows. Which girl did that is all based on which one you would have decided to project your focus on.

"It isn't wakumashiku! You never know when an accident might happen."

"Hey, Tobisaru-san. What's wakumashiku?"

Another yellow light.

She mispronounced it.

"So, Tobisaru-san. I guess saying words wrong is just oosodokkusu (orthodox) to you, huh?" She laid down on her stomach in a sexy pose no one would see.

"Ah... well... um, yes.-" she sighed. "-Honestly I don't know if it'll ever not be oodosokkusu."

Pause.

"Well don't worry little missy. I can whisper any language into your ear if you get what I'm saying?"

The music played.

"Hey, Araki-san. Are you just going to let her get away with that? I'm getting car-sick of her."

"I'm driving right now so I can't answer baby."

Chouko coughed a storm.

"I guess since he's a God then everyone to him is a child." Chouko said to herself.

She denied the possibility.

"I do believe that he's a God like you've seen his room, but I don't know how powerful he really is. Hey, Araki-kun. What kind of God are you?"

Red light.

Stop.

"As I said, I can't answer right now." He said.

"Eh? Even though you're answering my questions right now?" She pushed the seat down so that she could have even more room in the back for herself.

Irritation.

The music continued.

"Hey, Araraki-san. Since I'm connected to a God right now, will you answer my questions?"

She mispronounced it.

"You did that on purpose."

"I did, did I?" She laughed to herself like it was some sort of bizarre inside joke.

"I'm wearing a face mask so my voice was just muffled."

"That isn't true."

"Is vewy twue!"

She wasn't faking it?

To properly clear up her question, the first thing he would need to do is to give some context to the situation.

He was typically used to doing things on a gargantuan level. No. Beyond that. It could be on the level of infinity. A good way to say it, considering that infinity is less of a number and more of an idea. The idea that no matter how large something may be, there will always be something ostentatiously grander than it.

To simply put it; to use his power to create in their setting would be too much for any human to handle.

There is a workaround this, however.

"Really Araki-kun? Can you explain a bit clearer?"

Wait.

How did she know that?

"You were talking to yourself, Araki-san. Honestly, it's a pretty standard understanding thought process of what a God could be. I mean, I've written fanfiction about a Twilight ripoff with Cthulhu with that idea."

"Tobisaru-san. That's already a book. It's called Awoken by Serra Elinsen."

Chouko's eyes narrowed down.

Greenlight.

Better start moving on.

"So! The workaround!" Kyouma said.

Attention caught.

"To keep the balance of this world, I only alter already existing objects. I found this car in the junkyard and changed it to my needs."

"Lies." Sawako said. Oh. She had sat down on her seat properly.

"Eh? How did you know?" Kyouma was genuinely shocked. How did she do that again?

"No way you're interested in keeping a balance when this world is already pretty out of whack. I bet there's some kind of supernatural consequences for using your powers in this world right?"

Pause.

The reason he didn't just create matter out of nothing and had lied was.

Well, it sounded cool.

"Hey, Araki-san. What other powers do you have?" Chouko had gone on her phone at that point.

"I can tell you what your previous life was. Your original concept was named Chouko Takamatsu and you were originally an avid film enthusiast whose life eventually ended when you tried to save a person from a slow-moving tractor and died from shock."

Chouko began coughing uncontrollably.

"No! No! No! I refuse to believe that! No way! I can't have died that pathetically! Also, what the heck. That sounded like you were describing the draft for a story!" She screamed out.

"Don't worry, Tobisaru. You were quite the beauty."

Red sign.

"Hey, Tobisaru-san! You should ask him if you're pretty or not!"

The CD had been scratched and had a little error.

The subject had been changed.

"Hey, Araki-san. Am I pretty?"

Pause.

Did she honestly just ask him that just to distract him? Kyouma was preoccupied with driving. Oh, left turn. They almost seemed determined to make this more difficult due to boredom.

How fascinating.

Have fun.

"At this point Tobisaru, you may as well be the Kuchisake-Onna." Kyouma spat that out while giving an amused grin to himself.

"Araki-kun! I thought we wouldn't be telling ghost stories!" Current pose: a little more sensual mixed with hands on the hips.

"I don't drink alcohol Araki-san! I'm not even old enough for you to call me a sushi sake onna."

"Poor, innocent Tobisaru-san. Unexposed to our life long myths and stories."

"Kuchisake-Onna. Tobisaru." Kyouma explained.

"Kuchisake-Onna, otherwise known as the Slit-Mouth Woman. A malevolent creature that dates back to the Edo period." Sawako said.

"Eh? So she was a ghost? Why are you comparing me to her? Although now that I think of it, I guess I am kind of a ghost since no one ever notices me-"

Annoyance.

"Anyway! She was married to a samurai and was considered to be the most beautiful woman in the village. She got so ahead of herself that she ended up believing that it was alright for her to have an affair with a lowly soldier."

"Oi, Sengoku. Are you our new resident storyteller here?"

"I don't really get why she'd go for the soldier unless he's very handsome. Wait! I've got an idea! It turns out that the two of them were childhood friends and then they got separated as age went on and she eventually got married! Then, when they finally meet again and-"

She cleared her throat and continued while having her feet touch the ceiling of the car as she laid down.

"Her husband was furious and demanded to know the reason why the soldier wanted to do this with his wife. The answer? Because she was the most beautiful in their village. The samurai respected that but his wife had no such excuse. He ended up slitting her mouth open to the sides."

Sawako opened her eyes.

"-and then the two of them end up running away together and this story will be my new idea for a fanfiction! Probably a new AU."

"Wow, Tobisaru. You really go hard or go home with this stuff don't you?"

The music restarted.

"Can you turn off that damn song? I'm sick of hearing these same phrases repeated over and over and over again."

Kyouma smirked.

"Oh? And what're you going to do about that huh? It's my car and I get to decide what I want. If you gave a little something for me though-"

The music repeated.

"Continue your story, please, Sengoku-san."

"Call me Sawako sweetie. Now, according to the modern versions of the myth, she goes around wearing a surgical mask and asks wandering people 'Am I pretty?' Saying no will lead to her slitting open your stomach."

Disgust.

Why on Earth would someone feel the need to do that?

Is what Kyouma assumed Chouko was thinking and-

"Why on Earth would someone feel the need to do that?" She had asked.

Bingo.

"I'm not done yet. If you say yes, she'll take off her mask and show her slit mouth to ask the question again in a girly voice. Saying no will get you the same response and saying yes again will make her slit your mouth open so that it looks like hers."

Chouko understood the story and had paid the girl her respects with a kiss on her cheek from the front seat to the back seat.

The cars rushed from one end to another, engines of oil like a scorching stomach, with only their wits, the night sky, and a GPS on the same side. Speaking of scorching stomachs.

"Hey, Awaki-san. I'm hungry. Can we guh and have a quih stop?" Her voice sounded very muffled again.

Denied.

Chouko had to ask him why.

"Because we're already here."

It was known as 蝶神社 or Chō-shinja. Meaning Butterfly Shrine. It was quite a literal title, to say the least, mostly because it was originally a Butterfly exhibit that was demolished and turned into a shrine. The reason for said demolishment being human's misunderstanding. As reading it 蝶神 gets Chō-shin.

Which meant.

"Butterfly God. Huh, I guess you really pick appropriate places, don't you, Araki-kun."

Chouko seemed ready to head in and do the ritual.

But first.

"Tobisaru-san. You seemed awfully calm throughout our car ride. Are you nervous about doing this?"

Blink.

"Eh? Not really. I mean, the worst that can happen is that my memories get stolen right? I still remember everything now so it shouldn't be too bad."

Kyouma was confused as to where this was about to lead.

"That isn't it. Earlier on in the week, you've been nothing short of petrified with anything involving school. In fact, can I ask you why you froze up near the library in the first place?"

Eye contact broken.

"Oh. Right. I was told about my matriculation exams. How could I...forget..." she trailed off.

"Tobisaru-san. I noticed your voice had been a little off while we were talking in the car."

"It's just the face mask-"

"Then I noticed it when you kissed me on the cheek with the mask on." Sawako cut her off and ripped it off.

Silk had dribbled out of her mouth. Chouko attempted to swallow it down, only for it to result in a coughing fit.

"Araki-kun. Did you know about this?"

There was no time to waste.

They needed to start.


End file.
